LPCI Vegetation Monitoring for LEPC Habitat

West, Neil E. , (2003) 'History of Rangeland Monitoring in the U.S.A.', Arid Land Research and Management, 17:4, 495 – 545 (1891 to present)

CEAP Conservation Benefits of Rangeland Practices Chapters 1, 3, 6 & 8

Gene A. Fults USDA NRCS WNTSC Reggie Blackwell CNTSC Philip Barbour CNTSC Marcus Miller WNTSC

Baseline assessments of vegetation will be collected at project areas consistent with NRCS NRI protocols to assess vegetation response at the individual ranch level. In turn, as multiple projects are completed a portfolio of habitat change can readily be quantified and linked back to changes in abundance and/or distribution of populations. NRCS will seek to develop Wildlife Habitat Evaluation Guidelines that are specific to the three major habitat types (i.e., mixed-grass prairie, sand sagebrush prairie, and shinnery oak grasslands) but are consistent across the range of the LPC. This approach will ensure that baseline information is reported consistently both internally and to partners.

USFWS 06-11 Conference Report for NRCS LPCI

APPENDIX III - LPCI Science Support Element Monitoring LPCI Effectiveness

Rationale: Field Consistency

A. Baseline information

B. Monitoring Protocol

C. Vegetation Protocol

D. Field Preparation

140 +/- NRI segments 15 intensive protocols

BASELINE INFORMATION

Step 1. www.prism.oregonstate.edu

Step 2. Click on explore our data online with Internet Map Server.

Step 3. Enter longitude and latitude

Step 4. Parameter = precipitation. Month = annual. Start year = 2008. (Ideally the start year should be 3 years prior to data collection year) Stop year = 2012 (or year of data collection).

Step 5. Click for Time Series.

Optional Step 6. Month = All. Start/Stop year is year of collection. Click Time Series.

Drought Monitor map

PRISM multi-year for Garden City, KS

2003 2011

PRISM multi-year for Pampa, TX

Drought Monitor map

2003 2011

2003 2011

PRISM multi-year Portales, NM

Drought Monitor map

Monitoring Protocol

• Prescribed Grazing Plan inventory

• Past and present weather

• Careful to avoid disturbance

• Pick a monitoring site

• Schedule follow-up (rates of changing phenology)

New Appointment Set reminder to pop up 10 days in advance

Decadal Averaged Cherry Bloom in Kyoto, Japan

Difference between Inventory and Monitoring

Monitor Captures Change

Monitoring Variable

Picking the place to measure AND monitor • Random, Objective, Subjective, Purposeful,

Representative – Must have rejection criteria for the site before going

to the field – A lot depends upon the private landowner. They

should have a say in the pick.

• Stay within the Ecological Site boundary and

away from edges and/or aeolian landform variation

• Keep distance from ranch facilities

Monitor 2 transects/treatment area/ecological site/year Considerations:

1. Monitor the Ecological Site (ES)rated HIGH for LEPC use or highest rated ES

2. Nesting and Brood Raising habitat will be prioritized over Leks

3. The ES that is the KEY AREA as identified in the Prescribed Grazing Plan

Monitor 2 transects/treatment area/ecological site/year Considerations:

4. Review Ecological Site Descriptions when multiple rated ES occur within the treatment area. If expected management responses are similar then monitor only one ES. Otherwise, all rated ESs will be monitored

5. Expected change in monitored indicators will occur relatively fast due to treatment

6. Accessibility

7. Relative size

Picking the place to Monitor

BLM PHOTO

< 10 % cover

50-75% cover

40-50% cover

Crest has cover changes due to sporadic annuals

Wind direction Direction of growth

BLM PHOTO

Vegetation Protocol

• Photos

• Plant Height

• Visual Obstruction Reading (VOR)

• Line Point Intercept

• Phenological condition

Standard NRI Transect Layout

N

Two single 150 foot transects with a NE to SW orientation. 0.0 foot mark at the NE end.

Layout the tape close to the ground Keep it straight More consistent from year to year

Photo Monitoring ‘DON’T’S’

Photo board not obscured or floppy in the wind

No shadows, people, hands, glare

Brite Hue Blue paper color name

At least one photo of the site centered down the transect tape with photo board visible

R042XC005NM_031212_PG3_f3t1_xxx

ESD#_Date_phenology_field_transect_contract #

Suggested file name

Additional photos at the site would not need photo board

PLANT HEIGHT

Tallest woody and Tallest herbaceous At each mark

Visual Obstruction Reading (VOR)

1.5 feet

6.5 feet

Place next to the tape at the mark a 5.0 foot tall pole with alternating color

bands 4 inch wide

N

Point Intercept

Line Intercept

Line Intercept Cover = crown canopy

A. = foliar canopy point intercept

B. And C. = crown canopy bias

Pin flag Point Intercept

foliar cover composition

3 ft. intervals

Includes tall shrub and tree

Parallax apparent displacement or difference in the apparent position of an object viewed along two different lines of sight.

Foliar Canopy Layer Structure % Growth

Form 1st hit

2nd hit

3rd hit

4th hit

5th hit

6th hit basal

PG 25 14 4 2 0 0 0 SG 0 0 4 1 0 0 0 FO 8 10 6 0 0 0 0 SH 18 0 0 0 0 0 0 SS 14 2 0 0 0 0 0 SO 6 4 0 0 0 0 0 HL 10 2 6 0 0 0 0 WL 6 2 0 0 0 0 0 BG 0 0 0 0 0 0 14

BG Bare Ground different form open ground habitat term

Presenter

Presentation Notes

Work and information will also be useful for ESD.

GRASS phenology Annual oat just past PG2

entering PG3

• GR1 -GREEN LEAVES BEFORE BOOT

• GR2- BOOT STAGE

• GR3- SEED SOFT DOUGH TO RIPE

• GR4- SEED DESIMINATION

• GR5- WINTER DORMANCY CURED

FORB Phenology • FO1- GREEN BEFORE FLOWERING

• FO2 - FULL BLOOM PETALS FALLING

• FO3 - FRUIT RIPENING

• FO4 - FRUIT RIPE TRANSITIONAL TO FALL DORMANCY

• FO5 - SEED DESIMINATION TRANSITIONAL TO WINTER DORMANCY

SHRUB Phenology • SH1 - GREEN LEAVES ONLY TRANSITIONAL TO FULL LEAF

STAGE

• SH2 - FLOWERS IN BUD, GREEN FLOWERING STAGE

• SH3 - FLOWERS OPEN TRANSITIONAL TO FRUIT FORM

• SH4 - SEED MATURITY TRANSITIONAL TO FALL DORMANCY * = GREEN FRUIT WT

• SH5 - WINTER DORMANCY TRANSITIONAL TO CURED LEAVES ** = DRY FRUIT WEIGHT

SAND SAGEBRUSH PHENOLOGY

• SS1 - BUDS SWOLLEN

• SS2 - EARLY LEAF DEVELOPMENT

• SS3 - STEM ELONGATION, FULL LEAF

• SS4 – FLOWERING

• SS5 – SEED MATURITY

• SS6 - EARLY LEAF SENESCENCE

• SS7 - DORMANCY

April 27th

June 8th

Shinnery oak leaf phenology

SHINNERY OAK PHENOLOGY • SO1 - BUD SWELL

• SO2 - FLOWERING CATKINS

• SO3 - PISTILLATE FLOWERS &/OR LATERAL BUD FORMATION IN LEAF AXILS

• SO4 - LEAVES < 4 CM

• SO5 - LEAVES > 4 CM

• SO6 - ACORNS DISTINGUISHED FROM CAP

• SO7 - ACRONS GREEN

• SO8 - ACORNS SEPARATE FROM CAP

• SO9 - DORMANCY

Reporting Monitoring Data

• Field Office maintains data and reports the transect pairs by ESD. Contract identification, landowner confidentiality stays at the field office level.

• First year data will be submitted with second year data. 1st, 2nd and 3rd year data will be submitted together…

• Monitoring period is during the growing season. A field office with 1 LPCI contract will report sooner than a field office with 10 contracts

Technical Summary

• Plant height, growth habit, percent litter are most consistent indicators for grassland bird use (Fisher and Davis JWM 2010)

• Meets data requirements of the new Ecological Site Description format

• Tied to phenology (plant community and animal variation of seasonal use) for regional comparisons

• ‘minimum’… You can always do more!

Consistency Summary

• Employees differ in their present plant identification knowledge

• An employee will know more plants in 3 years than one does today. We don’t want you to get better. Do it the same from year to year.

Participation Summary

• Landowners can easily become involved with straight forward measurement protocols

• Protocols are based on accepted rangeland monitoring design. Accepted by NRCS, BLM, USFS, ARS, and others.

Questions?